Sixty participants from across the country have expressed interest in sharing their ideas on a variety of aspects of the DPLA, including policy, recruiting content, metadata and indexing. The DLF/IMLS DCC beta sprint effort leverages the DCC’s 1000+ cultural heritage collections from across the U.S. It will develop new modes of interaction with this rich base of content and contribute many lessons learned building this national scale resource and from other major aggregation initiatives.

“As the DPLA planning initiative moves forward, we are optimistic that the DPLA community and public can help us think about what a DPLA might look like, in practical – and perhaps unexpected – ways, as platform, architecture, interface, and beyond,” said John Palfrey, chair of the DPLA Steering Committee. “We hope geeks and librarians, especially, will join forces to develop beta submissions in support of this initiative.”

“The Beta Sprint is where the dream of a seamless and comprehensive digital library for every person begins to grapple, technically and creatively, with what has already been accomplished and what still need to be developed,” said Doron Weber, Vice President of Programs at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and a Steering Committee member. “The DPLA represents the broadest coalition of stakeholders ever assembled who are dedicated to free and universal access to knowledge for all, and the Beta Sprint will help us kick off an 18-month program to construct, brick by digital brick, this beautiful new edifice.”

Working with Palmer at CIRSS are Katrina Fenlon and Jacob Jett, coordinators on the DCC, as well as Peter Organisciak and Richard Urban, both doctoral students and research assistants on the project.